Bayonetta May Cry
by Col98
Summary: Two very different worlds will clash. May the witch battle the demon for a chance of redemption and freedom. Will the demon be tamed by her charms, and her weapons? Let the choirs of Heaven open to the symphony of Hell's son eating a slice of pizza.
1. Prologue

_The Tower of Heaven and Earth collapses at its center a thousand miles in the air, the marbled walls give way from the massive explosion of dark and white matter within it. A black shockwave of energy paints the heavenly skies as white lightning spreads through the clouds like the veins of a fallen god. The explosion releases the most deafening sound, powerful enough to shatter the toughest armor of the strongest angels and demons alike. Four streaks of light radiate from the center of the tower painting a massive cross miles across that becomes visible even from space. Within the collapsing structure made by God himself falls two figures falling head-first into the abyss._

_One is a woman dressed in a tattered black outfit, her long hair is no longer tied in a perfect beehive, as her body falls at a hundred miles an hour towards the unwelcoming earth. Bitten between her perfect lips is a red lollipop, her only remaining guilty pleasure. She is at her limits, but she easily ignores the pleading cries of her body as she slowly raises the double-barreled gun._

_A few hundred meters away from her falls a white-haired man wearing a red overcoat, his strong body is impaled all over by an impossible number of objects, such as a reaper's scythe, an angel's harp, and among other things, a dozen 8-foot long arrows. In his mouth hangs half a slice of Italian pizza, his last remaining guilty pleasure. As the wind whizzes past him, he raises his favored black handgun._

_The two figures fall in unison, at the same speed. They fall faster and faster, accelerating past the inexplicable number of debris around them. In this world where angels and demons descend lifelessly from the sky, two not so different people must finish what they have started in order to truly move on._

_The triggers are pulled, the hammers strike, the gunpowder explodes, and the bullets leave the cartilages at the speed of sound, shattering through every piece of debris in their way before striking one another and exploding into a hundred pieces--- spelling out the words---_

* * *

**Bayonetta **_**May **_**Cry**

**- Prologue: Polish Thy Halos, Sharpen Those Horns -**

**

* * *

**13 Days Earlier:

The sun sinks in the distant horizon, its brilliant rays giving way to the coming darkness of the night, the conflicting colors of light and darkness mix, as the sky is painted by an umber light. The little remaining daylight creeps through the thick woodlands of one of Europe's forests. Within this ancient forest riddled with pine and oak, stood a lone, and worn out military base. Its walls are collapsed, its facilities are burning, and its grounds are plagued by the corpses of dead angels and demons. Standing amidst these hellish flames is Adrian Knightstein, a black haired man with a look of melancholy written on his face.

The 24 year old digs into his pockets as he scans the battlefield. The stench of demonic blood irritates his nose while the glowing white feathers bothers his eyes. He pulls out an expensive cigarette and bites it, almost cutting it in half. He looks at his hand; a thin layer of blood has hardened on his skin. What a bother. Nonetheless, he snaps his fingers and a flame ignites within his palm, lighting his cigarette.

"This wasn't worth the effort. What a pain in the ass." His blue eyes gaze at the lifeless blood-soaked body beside him. "I'm sorry, babe."

He diverts his eyes from the woman's face as he moves her body with his shoe. He lowers himself to the ground and examines a small notepad encased in a glass case. Brown mud and red blood dirties the case, causing him to feel grief and pity.

"In your memory, I'm going to carry out your dream. My Dear Tricia."

The angel claps his hands together in a silent prayer as his brothers and sisters disappear into a white circle in the sky. Tears flow from his blue eyes as he raises his hands above, welcoming the glorious light of the moon. His mind is set; he _will_ find and kill the person responsible for this massacre. But he will not follow the mistakes of his brethren, he will handle the situation in the same way an intelligent human would. Unlike his overly zealous brothers, he will use his mind, and he will value his life.

That is why; Adrian now stands within a dimly lit district in an unfamiliar city. He stands before a pair of closed doors, preparing himself for the gratuitous entrance of the mercenary he hired. He makes a mental note of the number of seconds that pass, 1… 2… 3…

The heavy doors explode outward as three people make their exit. A man in a red coat, a woman with glasses, and another woman with long blonde hair, all raise their guns in his direction before firing a volley of bullets. "Come on babes! Let's rock!!"

The man in red shouts aloud as the bullets zip pass, merely inches away from Adrian's face.

This is when Adrian began to wonder, just how long is it going to take for Dante to notice the floating halo on his head?

* * *

Enzo is a frank man; he doesn't hide his hatred for angels, his annoyance and fear of a certain woman, and his grave interest for trying to sound like a Russian mobster. Enzo is a simple man, who wears a simple hat and green coat, smokes a simple cigarette, and ties his hair in a simple black ponytail. Enzo is not a coward; he knows how to deal with people who do him wrong. He is completely capable of killing you or torturing you if you manage to tick him off just right. There are exceptions to this rule though, he will _not_ fuck with you if you're a certain black haired witch. Neither will he even look at you the wrong way if you're a certain demonic bar owner.

"What the hell are you looking at, old man?"

So why is he lying on his back, scared shitless at this sweet teenage girl? The girl tilts her head causing her pigtails to jump to the side. She possesses a striking face and a gorgeous body for her age. She is unarmed, but despite this, she's fearless and intimidating. Her name is Miromi Hayashibara, a girl from a distant country known as Japan, and right now, she's here purely for business.

"Enzo-san, I'm waiting~"

"H—Hey! Just wait, you little witch!" Enzo cringed, it probably would be best if he didn't call her that. She just might turn out to be one. "I told you! I don't know nothing about what you're talking about!"

The girl pouts. "That's too bad, Enzo-san. That's just too bad. Nononono~ That's too bad." The girl shakes her head while clucking her tongue. "I'll tell you what, what if I show you what I'm capable of?" She bows down, showing her cleavage. "I'll show you exactly why I want to see her."

The girl smiles maliciously as she stands up. She walks in the direction of a dead member of Paradiso casually. She leans close to the Affinity's neck and opens her mouth, revealing rows of perfect white teeth. Enzo watches in absolute horror as the girl bites into the neck of the angel faster, and faster, and faster. Blood splatters everywhere, as Miromi bites off the meet from the angel's neck. The girl continues to devour the Affinity with a hunger Enzo could not understand. A few minutes later, the girl slowly rises and walks to Enzo's direction.

"See?" she uses the Affinity's severed finger as a toothpick to clean out those nasty pieces of meat stuck between her teeth. "Aren't angels de-fucking-licious?"

Enzo remains silent, speechless, mortified. "Oh shit." Is the only thing he managed to say.

"Now, would you so kindly show me where The Gates of Hell are."

* * *

**Bayonetta **_**May **_**Cry**

**- Prologue: Polish Thy Halos, Sharpen Those Horns -

* * *

  
**

**A/N: **Bear with the rather short chapter, I'm kinda busy with my own novel. :3


	2. Chapter 1 The Ashburn Dragons

"Uh-huh." is his only reaction.

It takes a while for Dante, Trish, and Lady to realize that their client is merely a few yards away from them. It also takes a couple of moments for them to realize that they just _nearly shot him._ The first of the three to react is Lady. Lowering her Kalina Ann, she approaches the man in the distant with a strangely apologetic look. Dante and Trish on the other hand are left posing in place, still awkwardly raising their twin guns at Adrian.

"Hey, sorry about that." she steps in front of the client, scratching the back of her head awkwardly, while her other hand waves at the two to lower their weapons. "'got a little excited back there."

Adrian tilts his head slightly to look at the two demons. "Quite."

He watches as Dante walks toward him. Heavy black boots striking the street as his red coat flows, nearly touching the ground. Adrian locks eyes with the taller, white haired man before Dante moves forward and offers his hand for a handshake. Though reluctant, Adrian takes his hand and shakes it cautiously. He narrows his eyes, a little doubt creeping up inside him as Dante backs away slowly, his hands raised carelessly.

Adrian is well aware of Dante, the (in)famous Demon Hunter, a man well known for his exploits against demons. He's seen the guns, rumored to be called the 'Ebony and Ivory' just moments ago. Not only that, he was also given the honor to be fired at by them. The sword stabbed at his back must be the Rebellion, he thinks. Still, he considers it a little odd that Dante's acting so courteous. He expected Dante to be a little more impolite, based on the impressions some of his 'contacts' have given him.

"You may address me as Adrian." he starts. "That was quite an entrance."

Dante dusts his hands and looks at his shop. "Yeah, never really liked that door. The damn thing makes this annoying creaking noise whenever someone opens it."

Adrian raises an eyebrow. "Hm."

"By the way, I like the tall hat." he leans forward and whispers into Adrian's ear. "Really makes you look britishy."

"Excuse me, what?"

"Well-!"

Before Dante could reply, Lady's elbow is already stricken into his stomach, making him cough.

Adrian looks at himself. Is there anything wrong with his outfit? It's certainly better than Dante's red coat and general un-noble appearance.

He coughs before continuing. "I'd wanted to discuss the matter of our contract in the security of your… office…" he cringes as one of the doors lying on the ground breaks in half. "…but I see now that that isn't possible."

"Well you can always take us out to a fancy restaurant or something!" Dante smirks, "Maybe one that looks like a castle." However his smirk dies down once Lady strikes him with an irritated glare.

Rudeness, right. Adrian expected this somewhat, so it seems now that this man is indeed the man he's been looking for. He was afraid that the courtesy that Dante was exercising could have meant that Adrian's come to meet the wrong man. But for the matter of his question…

"My castle has long since fallen, Son of Sparda."

The smugness in Dante's eyes disappears for a moment. Many people know of his status as the son of the legendary dark knight. But it always came as a _very slight _surprise to him whenever someone would mention that title with an unworldly calm. The man said those words without an ounce of fear, and it almost sounded like he was disgusted by the words themselves. It was enough to intrigue him-

"Well that's too bad to hear." Dante looks at the ground sympathetically before raising his head with a smile. "So how's the Queen of England doing?"

"Dante!"

As Lady smacks Dante over the head with her rifle, Adrian sighs a deep sigh. This is going to be a long night.

* * *

**Bayonetta **_**May **_**Cry**

**- Chapter 1: The Ashburn Dragons**

* * *

Europe has always been a center for innovation and empires. It has always been a world away for not only Dante, but for every other person he knew. Though he travelled throughout the country on his many adventures, he never really went across the seas. Right now, this man, Adrian, offers him the opportunity to experience a whole new environment. It is not a world like Hell. He's been there for as many times as he's eaten a slice of pizza. The new world offered to him is a different country, with a different culture, and perhaps with a different species of Demon roaming about.

Yes, Dante never really cared about the history of civilizations. He always cared more about… pizza and magazines.

He could easily have dismissed this offer just because of that. Because of the lack of an offer regarding new food and reading material. But once the man began speaking of a world called Paradiso, his opinion changed.

"What the hell is a Paradiso?"

Dante's loud exclamation attracts the attention of the restaurant's other customers. The sophisticated crowd of businessmen and novelists, of company owners and religious leaders, stares at Dante and Adrian's table. The girls are at able away from them, happily eating their first-class meal, ignoring the attention that Dante attracted. It was their choice to sit there, a part of them expected something like this to happen.

"It is the realm where Angels preside." ignoring the stares, Adrian continues to speak. "It is a world of utter beauty, where the light of Jubileus shines for all eternity. It is a paradise untouched by human hands as all of those who live within are the purest of souls."

Dante takes a moment to digest the words… and the expensive escargot in his mouth.

"Jubileus?"

"Yes, Jubileus. Believers know her as Dea, or as the Creator. She is essentially God, a being who possesses the power to create entire universes in the blink of an eye."

"Okay…"

"Her religion is fairly popular throughout Europe. Believers of her cause are known as Lumen Sages. They have, however long since disappeared from the pages of history."

Dante stirs the wine in his glass. "What happened to them?"

"Extinction. Jubileus simply lost all her believers. The last Sage died not long ago, killed after launching a statue that possessed the soul of Jubileus into space."

Dante blinks twice at the notion of someone doing something as jacked up as that. "Hah! Wow! And here I was thinking 'old man Sanctus was crazy."

"Sanctus. Hmm… That was a priest who made a giant statue in the image of your father, right? He then proceeded to bring the massive automaton to life, am I correct?"

"Got that right. He was a little nutty, probably had a whole box of screws loose." Dante then downs the glass of wine and leans forward. "Which brings me to my point. I've seen a lot of guys like you. You know those guys who sound like crazy religious zealots? Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with believing in something that doesn't exist. But are you sure you're not planning to conquer the world with a giant Statue of Liberty?"

Adrian cocks his eyebrow. Did he just get drunk from his first glass? "Why would I want to do that?"

"Just thinking. I figured that you wanted to do something similar."

Adrian thinks about the implications of doing that for a second. Not only would that be the stupidest method of conquering the world, it would also be gravely impractical. Not to mention that it would cost valuable resources. A lot of valuable resources.

"Explain to me the whole deal with Vigrid City. You sound adamant that I go there." Dante says with a grin.

"That city holds an ancient artifact. Something that could very well assist you on this mission. If you are to assassinate…"

"Now hold it right there, buddy." Dante shakes his head and his glass. "I can't guarantee that I'll follow up on that. Unless you show me something that confirms that someone_ is_ a demon, then I'm going to have to pass."

In the background, Trish and Lady order another round of drinks.

"I understand." Adrian looks at his empty plate and plays with what's left of the chicken wing. "When you obtain the artifact, you will be able to easily recognize that your target does indeed possess the soul of a demon."

"That's nice." Dante leans back on his chair and kicks his feet up on the table, prompting more glares from the crowd and waiters. "Can you at least show me a picture of him?"

"_Her._" Adrian corrects Dante as he takes out a photograph.

Dante takes the photograph to take a look. What he sees prompts a raise of the eyebrow. "I like what I'm seeing." he says with a mischievous grin.

"Don't be taken in by her so-called charms. She is a witch, and a literal one at that. The woman before you is known by the name of Bayonetta, she is, by all means, an Umbran Witch."

"Umbra. Shadow." the demon hunter translates the words.

"Correct. The Umbran Witches have long since been the counterpart of the Lumen Sages. That woman is responsible for killing God." he leans forward. "I need you to kill her. Paradiso commands it."

The photograph is in grayscale but Dante is still able to appreciate her slender curves, and delicious lips. The sophistication of her glasses, and the air of confidence she carries in her pose in the photograph, makes her an interesting target for Dante's interpretative awesomeness… and maybe of his affection as well.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Hmm? Yeah, of course I am. You were going on something about killing Paradise, right?"

"No. I was going on about the importance of Swiss Cheese in our everyday lives."

"You were?"

Adrian lowers his head. "I am beginning to have doubts."

Dante extends his hands outward. "Don't worry about it! I'm just messing with ya! I'll have this girl in my bedroom in a few days, don't worry about it."

"Bedroo-?"

"-I mean couch. My bed got torn up from a demon attack not long ago."

There is a brief awkward silence.

"So how much are you willing to pay us for this job?" Lady joins the conversation. She stands beside Dante while wiping her mouth with a white cloth. Lady is indeed acting like the proper lady.

"A full million dollars."

"…" Dante and Lady share the same expression of shock.

"Lady, lend me your motorcycle." Dante turns to her with a serious face.

"Hell no! You still owe me for the repairs on that thing!"

Dante tilts his head to look at his fellow demon. "Tri-"

"-No."

"Damn it!"

"You are very eager with this. I'm impressed, very much so." Adrian says with a satisfied smile. "I will be providing you transport. There's no need for haste, you're target is going nowhere. She now lives her life, wasted away in a bar, drinking for the most time. But take care. This target requires far more than your diligence and patience. She is very different from everything that you have once faced."

"What makes you think that?" Dante asks, propping his chin up on his fist.

"The last adversary worthy of your skill has been sealed ages ago. That was Mundus. Over the years, those you have faced in glorious battle are but shadows in that demon's presence." the mysterious man stops, allowing a moment for his words to seep in. "Bayonetta serves an equally high power. She serves the Queen of Hell, Sheba. Jubileus was the only one who stood any chance against this queen. And she is now dead."

An eerie silence fills the restaurant hall. Customers look on in sheer disbelief after hearing the man's strange words. Was he crazy? Insane? Mad? Psychotic? Delirious? Many wondered, none were given an answer.

"Paradiso is in ruins, its forces long since divided at the death of their leader. Did you know that aside from you, the only force capable of standing against the demons are the angels presiding in Paradiso? Well, now that they're gone. You are the only one that stands against them."

What meets the end of his speech is an ear to ear grin from Dante himself. "Well that's just perfect."

Every single piece of glass shatters as the earth shudders and quakes.

The ceiling explodes inward, sending glass and concrete crashing into the crowd below. Everyone scatters, some screaming, fearing for their lives. Dante raises his head to see the starry night sky. The light of the distant stars bathes the room in a blue light as a white circle is made manifest in the empty space. Then from the circle descends four beings of light, their wings spread apart as they land on the ground in perfect formation.

_**Dressed in white, armed with crossed halberds, and possessing wings of white and gold, the angels stand brave and tall. Yellow halos of a simple design hover above their heads. The light of the stars is soon replaced behind them by the purest light of heaven.**_

_Affinity_  
Third Sphere  
**AFFINITY  
**_Angels_

As the souls of man descend into the heaven that is Paradiso, they ascend as these beings. Though they stand at the lowest circle in the army of Paradiso, the strength and will of these divine beings is enough to make any lesser demon tremble.

Dante stares at the four cloaked Angels, tilting his head the slightest.

"Interesting." Adrian says beside him. "Angels rarely leave the realm of Purgatorio to allow themselves to be seen by mere mortals. You should be honored; they're not hiding under their usual veil of invisibility."

"Nice." Dante snickers as the Angels start their charge.

An Affinity runs straight forward with its lance pointed straight down. As it nears Dante, it quickly thrusts its lance forward, aiming directly at the half-demon's vulnerable neck. But Dante steps a single step to the side. The Affinity stumbles slightly forward as it is taken by its own momentum. While it trips, Dante kicks its feet, causing the Affinity to fall and plant its face on the hard floor.

Another Affinity follows from above. The lance is swung straight down, but with a simple raise of his hand, Dante effortlessly catches the angelic blade. His free hand reaches into the holster of the Ivory and in the next minute, a thousand bullets are fired. The bullets strike endlessly against the Angel. Blood splatters, bones are shattered, and white feathers are ripped into pieces from the impact of the endless stream of bullets. The Angel rises slowly and slowly into the air, lifted only by the force of the bullets striking its body.

The remaining Affinities strike from the sides. Their only weapons are those of the spears they wield. They thrust their weapons at the same time, clumsily aimed at the center of Dante's body. But he is unperturbed. He reaches for the sword on his back with his right hand while his left maintains fire on the Angel in the air. He swings the Rebellion in a large arc, all around his body. The Rebellion cuts air and shattered glass without prejudice. The broadsword slices the Affinities in half effortlessly, like a hot knife through butter. Following the motion of his swing, Dante stops firing the Ivory. The Angel in the air descends lifelessly, it is nothing but a mindless mess now, a horrid shadow of its former angelic self. Even worst, it is not even given the honor of striking the ground. The sword is swung the moment it is mere inches from the ground, cutting the Angel at its very center.

Angel guts splatter and feathers fly everywhere, dirtying every inch of the high class restaurant.

"Close call, boy."

Humored, and having a little fun, Dante looks at the first downed Affinity with an inquisitive look. The Affinity slowly gets up, it almost appears like it's rubbing its face in embarrassment. Though they are unable to speak, the Affinity is embarrassed from what just happened. How could he have just tripped? It wondered as it raises its spear. No matter, it says to itself, all is for the glory of Jubileus the Creator.

It charges forward to show this filthy demon its rightful place at the bottom of this world. IT WILL SHOW THIS DEMON THE TRUE MEANING OF HELL. IT WILL BURN INTO THE MEMORY OF THE SON OF SPARDA THE GLORY OF JUBILEUS THE CREATO-

But that's impossible as a single bullet to the head causes the Affinity to keel over and die.

"Hm…"  
"Hm…"

The two girls approach, both of which are rubbing their chins.

"What the hell is that?" Trish asks.

"A Demon." Lady answers.

"It's so white."

"It's obviously an albino."

The girls stare at the shuddering Affinity for a good three seconds before they simultaneously kick its head in.

"So _that's_ an Angel…" Dante whistles impressively as he crosses his arms.

In the background, the restaurant owner, a sophisticated businessman with a tall hat, collapses on his knees and sobs. The man cries with all his heart after seeing his restaurant fall into ruin from the actions of _that man. _He can't do anything about it however. He knows who that person is, he's that crazy demon hunter the whole damn country is talking about. If he wants to blow his restaurant up, a man like him can't do anything about it! But a part of him still hopes that that's the last of the Demon attacks. Maybe he brought this on himself? From the bad things he's done, this is probably just some form of negative karma.

Or maybe that Dante fellow is _attracting these demons in the first place._

"GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!" he shouts, middle finger pointed at the man in red. It's a gutsy move, but he's far too angry now to consider the possible consequences.

Lady and Trish frown, they haven't even started on their third round of dessert yet. But they can't do anything about it now, can they? Sure they can threaten the guy with their superior firepower or cleavage (or a combination of both) but that wouldn't be nice, would it? They pick up their weapons, and whatever food they had left on their plates as they make their way to the exit. Dante holsters his guns, shrugs, and follows after them.

"Let's go, boss!" Dante places special sarcasm on the word 'boss'.

"Well, I'm sorry about that." Adrian is left, and as he takes out a large wad of cash from his wallet, he bows apologetically to the owner of the restaurant. The owner doesn't even do as much as consider his apology however, and instead, continues to usher out the man with his raised finger.

* * *

Adrian steps outside, feeling a bit sorry for the restaurant and its crew. As he opens the door, he moves his head the slightest to avoid the flying spear. The spear shatters the door on impact and causes the subsequent wall above it to shatter and collapse. He joins Dante and the rest in looking up at the bright night sky.

"_HERESY!_" shouts the grotesque monster in a language that Dante does not recognize.

_**Its body is that of an upturned head. Protruding from the head are two dragons burning of green flame. Below those are a pair of long serpentine legs. A massive halo of many runes and symbols hovers above it, the light it emits turns the night into day. Jewels decorate the head and the armor of the massive Angel as a pair of feathery wings keeps it in the air. All around it are lesser Angels, the Affinities, hundreds of them, hovering, just hovering. It stares down at the infidels, swearing to itself as it sees the man in red.**_

_Courage  
_Auditio  
**COURAGE**  
_Angels _

"Our numbers are dwindling. You really can't blame me for being so desperate." Adrian steps forward, his hands raised defensively.

"_Pathetic. Simply pathetic. To lower yourself to the level of demons is unforgivable_." again, the monster speaks in that strange language.

Dante looks up at the Angel, not particularly threatened because he's too busy picking his ear. For some reason, he thinks to himself, he understands the Angel's words. He doesn't know how to speak them himself, but he understands perfectly what he's talking about.

"If you have a problem with my approach against the Witch…" Adrian shrugs. "…then feel free to kill us."

It takes some time before the giant Angel can answer. Courage is but a shadow of its original, Fortitudo, so it knows that its power is far less than that of the Son of Sparda. But he cannot let this pass. He possesses the memories of Fortitudo. Those memories come with an unworldly anger for the demons. Though the man in red, and maybe his blonde companion, are considered half-demons, he feels the similar hatred deep within. Courage snickers, and hovers about, the massive wings at the back of its head flapping loudly, causing gusts of wind to blow so strong that cars parked nearby become thrown into the air.

"_Dante._" it says slowly in English, allowing Trish and Lady to finally understand. "_Son of Sparda. Son of the Demon who sealed the Betrayer._ _We are thankful for that service…_" it pauses, its wings stop moving. "_…BUT YOU ARE A DEMON NONETHELESS._"

And with that, a wordless message is sent to the hundred Affinities covering the sky. With that, the Angels descend upon the hundreds.

Dante shakes his head. He isn't exactly sure what the upturned head is talking about with the whole 'betrayer' thing, but it looks like, for some reason, he's pissed him off. So, Dante, has in fact, no choice, but to pull out his sword, ready his guns, and prepare to fight. Angels, Demons, they're probably the same thing in the end anyway. At least, they're the same thing in the end when they all end up becoming pools of unrecognizable blood once he's done with them.

Trish and Lady were just about to follow after him in fighting the 'Evil Albino Demons', when Adrian stops them with a thrust of his arm.

"No. He can handle this. We must head to Fortuna City."

"Fortuna?" Dante shouts as he performs a stinger through a few Affinities. "What the hell are you going back there for?"

A circle of Affinities fly in from above, intending to end Adrian's life. But Trish is already on them. Yellow lightning arcs forward, striking through each Affinity in the circle, frying their bodies instantly.

"You no longer possess the Yamato, do you not?" he takes a step back as a rocket is fired in front of his face and explodes into a clumped group of Affinities. "You will need a proper method of entering hell to deal with the witch. Striking specific demonic species is sure to weaken her."

Dante jumps on top of an Affinity and drives the Rebellion into its back. "Going to hell weakens her?" The Affinity lets out a bird-like caw as Dante throws it into the air, where a few dozen Affinities fly waiting.

"_Trickster!_" he snaps his fingers and disappears in a red flash. He reappears just above the impaled Affinity and lands on top of it, where he takes out the Ebony and Ivory in a spinning motion.

"_Gunslinger!_" as the Angel comes to a spinning descent, he fires at a rate that makes modern Gatling guns look like ancient muskets. Bullets and angel guts fill the air as Courage watches in the distance.

"You think of everything, don't you?" Dante says as he lands on the ground, crushing the poor Affinity beneath his feet. He hops off the Affinity and begins to walk casually toward more angels. "I don't know why, but this is really getting my blood pumping!"

Adrian understands the reason behind this. Angels and Demons hold a natural hatred towards each other. Over the years, Dante has fought nothing but demons. For him to face his father's rival species, must be something that is capable of letting out his more primal nature. Adrian feels no pain in seeing his brothers die. He feels no remorse. Their death will bring about a greater good. That greater good is the proper resurrection of Jubileus.

"You girls can go on ahead!" Dante says while grabbing an Affinity under his armpit. He then proceeds to shoot its face with demonic lead.

"Aw, hell no!" Trish shouts as she high kicks an Affinity into another Affinity. "I'm not letting you have all the fun!"

"Let's just get this over with." Lady stabs open an angel before firing at it with a rocket from the Kalina. "We're over half done, anyway!"

Adrian lowers his head and sighs. He spots a nearby lamppost and leans against it, lighting a cigarette, and crossing his arms. He has no choice but to wait, they seem adamant in clearing out these angels. There's almost a competitive nature in the things they do. His fears are no longer present, now he is well aware of the capabilities of the demon hunter and his associates. He need not worry.

* * *

"Now decide. Are you going to take the red shot, or the blue shot?" Rodin whispers, leaning forward.

Jeanne thinks about it for a while before downing both glasses of hard liquor. The large bartender just raises an eyebrow before returning to his business mixing some cocktails. Beside Jeanne is a bewildered Luka, a glass of German beer in his hands.

"I always wondered what would happen if you took both pills. I'd expect some crazy shit to happen, that's for sure." he raises the glass before downing a third of the beer.

Jeanne's makes a loud thud as her head strikes the wooden counter. She groans aloud, like a beached whale before getting back up while grabbing her head. "Jesus Christ, that wasn't too smart now, was it? Fuuuuuck…"

Luka takes out a document from his jacket while Jeanne staggers in trying to stand. "You should lie down or something. I'm not carrying your ass back to wherever the hell you live. Ugh- what the fuck!"

The documents fall on the other side of the counter because of Jeanne falling on top of him. She tries saying something to Luka's face, but the young journalist is instead met with the smell of hard-ass liquor. As he struggles with the red witch, Rodin approaches the document and picks it up. He doesn't really care about people's things because ever since he got kicked off of heaven, he's been walking around in the neutral side of things. But after giving the small paper file a small look see…

"What's this about kid?"

"Goddamnit Jeanne get off me! FUCK!"

"Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeex-!"

"Hey, boy!" Rodin's angry fist-driven shout silences the whole noisy bar. Luka pushes the weak and drunken Jeanne off his shoulder, causing her to fall flat on the floor. "Explain to me what you got here."

"Shit." he tries to grab the file but Rodin moves it back out of his reach. "Give that back!"

"Not until you answer my goddamn question."

"It's a book collection I'm working on, alright! I got that list from the royal library."

Rodin takes a glance at the titles listed down in the document. He lets out a huff of hot air as he shakes his head. "These are all about demons. You looking to be one with the dark like Bayonetta?"

The notion makes Jeanne hop back up to life behind Luka as the young journalist shakes his head defensively.

"No way! I'm not damning my soul to hell!" he grabs his beer and takes a sip. "With these two kicking God's ass, I have nothing better to do. I'm just, expanding my horizons, you know?"

Rodin doesn't say anything and instead stares at him with an evil cold.

"What're you angry about anyway? I just wanna know more about demons and shit, you know? I gotta do some biblical referencing to get myself back in the game." Luka shakes his head disapprovingly. He's spent too much time chasing the woman who, as it turns out _didn't _kill his father. He needs to find something to get back on his game, and journalism about paranormal shit is the only thing he knows to do.

"If you wanted to know more about demons, then you should have just asked me." Jeanne says, regaining her composure and sitting down. "Want me to summon a Gomorrah here so you can feed it a bone? Hahaha."

Rodin steps between them and drops the paper, pointing down the list of books.

"Most of these have shit to do with Sparda. What are you dragging on?" his voice almost comes on as a whisper.

"Well, yeah…" Luka begins whispering himself. "The guy's a legend, right? I wanna know if he's real, simple as that. Maybe I can go ahead and write a few famous articles of my own, just to get the money flowing-"

"NO!" a demonic voice booms and Luka falls off his chair. For the customers of the bar, they know that now's the time to scram. They scatter like mice, leaving only the three of them behind. "There are some things kid, that you _do not _do research on." and with that, Rodin sets the list on fire with his finger.

"How co-?"

"You just don't, Cheshire." Jeanne looks around the empty bar, airing soberness. "It's a dangerous world to be in. You'll get eaten up, chewed, and spat the fuck out if you take a wrong turn." she looks at Luka, cold eyes causing his skin to crawl. "Cereza and I won't be able to help you if you get too deep into the rabbit hole."

Luka tries to look at Rodin but the bartender avoids his gaze. Jeanne too looks away from him, now seemingly more interested on the football game in Rodin's newly purchased 40'' flat-screen TV. He says nothing for the rest of the night, merely content with ordering another round of beer. He's not going to give up though, if there's something about this Sparda that can cause Rodin and Jeanne to act like this, then really, he won't be able to stop himself. It's a journalist's drive to get this done.

Bayonetta isn't around, but maybe he should ask her too. Hopefully she won't be a bitch about it as well.

* * *

"_Royal Guard!_" Dante shouts while thrusting his hand forward.

The fireball crashes into him, devouring his body with a wide flame. But as the flames die down, he appears unscathed and shaking his head. All around him the angels are dead, Adrian is still smoking near a lamp post, while Trish and Lady are poking away at some stragglers. The only living angel that is left is the Courage, hovering at a set distance while spitting massive fireballs. It fires once again, a glimmer of irritation in its eyes.

The fireball spins through the air, leaving a trail of white fire. It crashes into Dante, but at the last second, he builds a barrier with his fist and punches the fireball out of the way. It explodes once again in a loud, encompassing explosion. And once again, Dante is unharmed and shrugging.

"Do a little better, you almost got me there."

"_Your immature games are a waste of my time._" the Courage gathers itself for a retreat.

There is no longer any point to this. The demon is playing games with him now. It is _humiliating him_. Though its desire to devour the little devil is far too encompassing, the Courage forces itself to believe in reason. He, along with the clones of the former Auditio are all that lead the remainders of Paradiso now, he cannot lose his life here. With that, the Courage leaps into the air and turns around as a white portal appears before him.

"_This shall not go unnoticed. I shall inform my brothers of this treachery. Remember that, Mikchael._" the Courage moves forward and enters the portal when-

"Mind if I come along?" -it hears a voice close by.

Courage feels the demon hunter hopping about on its back. It roars angrily as it spins its whole mass. Then as Dante is left suspended in the air, one of its dragon heads opens wide and devours him. It tries its hardest to close its jaw, so that its sharp teeth may crush the demon within. But Dante's strength proves far too much. It lifts the mouth open slowly while he grins. This is when the Courage realizes that the demon's sword is not on his back.

It then hears a loud demonic roar coming from behind. The free head turns to look at the source of the shout, which later reveals itself as a red glowing Rebellion. The demonic sword crashes into the Courage's second head, severing it straight off with a spin of its blade. At the same time, Dante kicks his feet with enough force to dislocate the dragon's jaw. It spins in the air and grabs the Rebellion as it makes its pass toward him.

The next flurry of attacks is too fast for even the cloned Auditio. Dante delivers blow after blow to the Courage's face in midair. When gravity begins to take over he disappears in a flash of light and reappears at an area behind the Auditio. It tries to defend itself from the attacks, but Dante's constant teleportation is so fast that afterimages are left in the air. The last attack comes in the form of a hard sword to the eye.

The Courage lets out a roar as it opens a new portal on the ground. It falls to the earth, its wings having been clipped, are no longer able to keep it afloat. Dante follows after the Angel with a mischievous grin, not really caring where the Angel's going to be taking him. They disappear into the portal as a whirlwind sucks them in.

What's left however are three slightly stunned people.

"Did he just leave us behind?" Trish says, blinking her blue eyes.

"Afraid so." Lady adds with a somewhat defeated sigh.

Adrian finishes his cigarette and walks forward. "That was quite a show, shall we get going now?"

Lady holsters her guns while tilting her head. "Why are you so eager to go?"

He replies by shrugging. "Your friend is probably already there. The angels have made that city into their refuge ever since that one event…"

"Where?"

"Fortuna."

* * *

**Bayonetta **_**May **_**Cry**

**- Chapter 1 : The Ashburn Dragons**

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**This has been re-uploaded with added content and 'improved' writing.**  
**


	3. Chapter 2 The City Closest to Hell

"Your target also has a fondness of not only strawberry sundaes but tomato juice as well!"

Bayonetta licks the red, cherry flavored lollipop slowly while listening to the young girl's words. Though the girl, who has introduced herself as 'Miromi' dresses more conservatively than Bayonetta, her perfect figure is hard to miss. Cereza was never the type to be jealous of another woman's assets, but this girl really has it going on. She also smells funny.

"But is there _really_ a need to discuss these things?" Cereza says, crossing her legs. "I'm not really obliged to do anything for you demons. The contract only states that when I die, I'll end up getting dragged straight down to hell, where I'm supposed to wander around scared shitless for the rest of eternity. There's nothing in there about actual _favors_."

Miromi pouts and crosses her arms. The witch has a good point. She looks behind her and checks on the traumatized Enzo. The little fat man is completely still, sitting on his chair. With his jacket open, his shades off, and his hat tilted to the side, Enzo is but a shadow of his former, gangster-like self.

"What did you do to him, anyway?"

"Oh, I gave him the power to see angels, temporarily." Miromi muses. "Then I ate an Affi in front of him to prove that I was a demon. He just wouldn't believe me. Speaking of which, do you have any idea how hard it is to find you?"

The witch grins. "How flattering."

"Yeah, seriously. But to get to the point, you really need to do this. A lot is at stake here, you know~"

"Like what? I read from a nonexistent newspaper that some 'witch' killed God herself by punching her into the sun. Paradiso is in ruins, I throw you demons a bone every a couple of days, Jeanne's motorcycle just got totaled a few days ago… from those standards, the world is just fine and dandy!" Bayonetta flicks her hair back and stands up. Without as much as a pat to the shoulder, she walks off.

Miromi just watches. Innocent blue eyes stare at the witch's seductive back. She sighs as she pulls out something from within her pocket.

"This bracelet is pretty~ where'd you get it? Bayonetta-san?"

Cereza turns around curiously. Her eyes open wide as she sees the silver bracelet in the girl's hand. "How did you get that?"

Miromi ignores her and grins, revealing rows of perfectly sharp white teeth. "The Bracelet of Time. Eva, a truly extraordinary witch, entered into contract with a Legendary Dark Knight and then faced the amassed armies of Inferno. This bracelet was made by her hand, and those who wear it become true masters of witchcraft, able to control witch time at their very will."

"No, seriously, how did you get that? I had it strapped to my arm, for goodness sake." within the blink of an eye, Bayonetta pulls out a pistol and aims it directly at the demon's head. "Who _are _you?"

Miromi frowns. "I'm a demon, didn't I tell you that? Geez, anyhoo. Did you ever wonder who this 'Eva' character is?"

"No. And frankly, I don't care. Now give it back before I blow your brains out."

"Ooh, feisty." the girl tauntingly spins the bracelet around her finger. "You've been wearing this thing for so long, and yet you never really cared about its history? Humans have this odd belief that everything has a story. By looking into the history of an artifact, one can find clues on the future."

Bayonetta takes some time to let the words sink in.

"Where are you getting at?"

"The Legendary Dark Knight was a demon, much like me. He belonged to Hell, another Inferno. But he was a demon, nonetheless. The ruler of that Hell was named Mundus, and he came to be defeated by that Dark Knight. The Knight's name was Sparda."

"I bet he dined in hell often." Cereza grins.

"Sparda rebelled against his brothers, and prevented the inevitable defeat of the human world at the hands of the demons. His wife is the woman who made this bracelet, Eva. After the war they lived a happy life together, and she bore him twin sons." Miromi grips the bracelet tightly. "Millions of demons fell at the hand of Sparda. We in Inferno want our brethren avenged. Though Sparda is believed to dead, one of his sons still lives. Find him and kill him."

A cold wind blows and the two women stand silent.

"Or what?" Bayonetta asks simply.

"Or we drag you straight to hell, Cereza." Miromi throws the bracelet at Bayonetta, which is then caught by the barrel of her gun. "You may be able to kill angels, or even God. But your body belongs to us. Every inch, every crevice, is within our grasp. You may be able to slay dragons, but a parasite within your heart will devour you from the inside."

Bayonetta watches as the girl slowly walks around her, "It shouldn't be too hard for you, anyway. You're only going against a guy who's killed every single demon who tried to get out of hell." Suddenly a vortex of black lightning envelops the girl as she disappears completely.

Bayonetta examines the bracelet before putting it back on. Time has been moving rather slowly for her lately. A few remaining angels show up every now and then to challenge her, but they all end up falling without much of a fight. This… order just might be something interesting.

"She was an odd little girl, wasn't she? I mean, threaten me? How pompous. Still, her offer sounds like something I just can't run away from." Cereza thinks to herself as she stares at the unmoving central piece of the bracelet. Her dark eyes focus on the mysterious artifact. She never really thought that it would be something so… significant. "Well, it sounds like I have no choice then."

She turns around and looks at the traumatized Enzo, who's still as unmoving as a rock. Bayonetta walks toward him and fishes out a lipstick from her rather noticeable cleavage. Enzo needs to be woken up, but before that she should draw on his face. It's a tradition she's started, actually.

"All better now." she claps her hands in satisfaction before kicking Enzo in the face. "Enzo! I need your help with a little something."

Enzo falls off his chair screaming. His head pops up, neko ears and whiskers are drawn on his gruff face. "Is that bitch still here! I don't want to die yet! Seriously! Fuck! I'll take care of my wife and kids better, alright! You here? Just stay the hell away from me- Huh?" he looks around, dazed and confused. "Oh. It's only you."

Then he realizes it.

"FUCK. IT'S YOU." Enzo then breaks into a sprint, running at a speed that even impresses Bayonetta. That fat man can run, she says to herself.

**

* * *

**

**Bayonetta **_**May **_**Cry**

**- Chapter 2 : The City Closest to Hell**

**

* * *

**

_This guy you're looking for, Dante is pretty popular in the US of A. He works as a mercenary who kills demons for a living. I guess you can say the bastard seed doesn't fall too far from the tree. I have no fucking clue where he is though. He owns a shop somewhere in that country but I called a friend and he said that he wasn't there right now. He's probably doing something to pay off his debts. Heh. You're going to have to look for him yourself if you want to get anything done. _

_There's a city in that country called Fortuna. It's kinda like Vigrid but instead of being dangerously close to Paradiso, they're literally a few steps away from Hell. Most of the people there are nut jobs, I'll tell you that! They worship some scary-ass demon named Sparda. I don't know what the fuck they're up to there, but a few months ago, a shitload of rogue demons began popping up in that city. Hell! Even a giant fucking statue of that Sparda guy came to life and nearly destroyed everything! Anyway, that's all history now. But some people believe that Dante was there, saying that he was responsible for ending that clusterfuck. _

_I'll give you a clue. Look for a kid named Nero. He looks like a brattier version of Dante, and he sounds like he's buddy-buddy with the guy. _

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Bayonetta strolls through the streets of Fortuna, not having any particular idea where to go. All around her the people are dressed in hooded white clothes. The place feels a lot like Vigrid, though the smell of angels is pretty much nonexistent. Which is a good thing, Bayonetta considers. Her rather seductive stride catches the attention of those around her. They apparently don't like the way she dresses and moves. It's understandable though since this place might as well be the Vatican. Overly conservative citizens are to be expected.

The city is somewhat in ruins, however. It looks like not long ago, a terrifying war was waged in this peaceful city. This is evident by the destroyed houses, damaged roads, ruined archways, and collapsed rock statues. Eerily enough, every few blocks, Bayonetta spots massive limbs made of rock, that towers even buildings. They are found on random locations, seemingly dropped from high places as the roads beneath them are cracked. She can feel traces of magic in the fallen limbs, maybe they were part of a massive automaton.

She stops briefly, feeling the wind blow. An eerie sensation made her stop. Suddenly she feels the familiar feeling of the conjuration of a demon.

**Burlap black bags slowly rise from the earth, as they are slowly filled with a strange air. Curved blades are formed from the bags as the bags themselves slowly develop into shades of green and red. Bayonetta can feel their nature as demons, though of the lesser category.**

_Demons_  
**SCARECROW  
**_Lesser Demon_

The crowd of religious citizens scatters at the sight. Fearful for their lives they stumble and flee over one another. They have long since been traumatized of demons since this city was overrun just a few months ago. Bayonetta, for a moment, is confused. Should she help these innocent people? She certainly can't just let these people die. But then again, she holds a contract with demon kind…

"Demons! Arm yourselves men!"

More men dressed in white run past her. But these people are different as they are armed with swords. The demons seem to be of the stupider bunch since they spend most of their time staring blankly at the swordsmen before them. Bayonetta watches as the men charge screaming at the unmoving, boring demons. She also notices a unique feature on the men's swords. The handles have gear shifts. She watches as the men, a small group of four, slash madly at the scarecrows. As the blades imbed themselves into the puffy demons, the men rev the swords as if they were motorcycles.

"These people are probably from The Order of the Sword… whatever in hell's name that is."

Fire emerges from the blades as the swords' swings become stronger. Cereza finds an empty bench and sits down. For now she's content just sitting around watching this. It's always nice to see amateurs in action.

So for now, she distracts her tongue with a lollipop.

"This fight is so one sided. Those _things _are acting more like punching bags than actual demons."

Eventually, the last sword strikes the ground and the hooded men stand triumphant.

"By Sparda's name…" a hooded man says as he looks in Bayonetta's direction.

My, my, were they expecting her? She stands up, dusting her sides. Well, if they want entertainment then she can certainly provide-

-something else is coming. Impulsively, Cereza takes a step back and watches as the creature is made manifest.

**A reptilian beast rises from the stone-covered steps before her. The demon possesses a lean, green body covered in hard scales. A circular shield covers the creature's right arm as its long claws dig into the stone. The demon, a terrifying engine of destruction, lowers its body as it lets out a lowly growl.**

_Demons_  
**ASSAULT  
**Elite Demon

The demon kicks the ground so hard that shards of rock are thrown into the air. The Assault propels itself at one of the hooded men. The knight never stood a chance. Even though the man tried to strike the demon with his blade, the demon's strength and weight far surpasses his own. The man is thrown a few yards, completely helpless, like a matador faced by a charging bull.

The remaining three knights attempt to strike the Assault, but the demon screams against the skies. Razor-sharp wind explodes outward, cutting apart the men. It is a complete loss on the side of The Order. The victorious Assault once again roars as it steps on the head of one of its victims. It lowers its head, saliva slipping from its gaping mouth. Before it mercilessly prepares to feast, for it is hungry,

One of the knights is barely conscious, but he feels himself shivering in fear. His terrified gaze meets with Bayonetta's own, and for a moment, Bayonetta feels sympathy. Even as a witch bounded by demons, she simply can't let this man die.

"Fuck off!"

Two burning red bullets break the air. The Assault hears this and it raises its shield. But as the bullets crash into the shield, the shield shatters in an instant. A man leaps over a crowd of onlookers, a massive sword hanging on his back. Through the few months that have passed, Nero no longer wears his blue hoodie, having turned it in for a whiter version, a version designed for those who serve The Order.

Nero lands behind the Assault and grabs its tail with his right arm, a twisted, demonic arm. He effortlessly pulls the demon off the unconscious men and throws it in the air. He then jumps after it, pulling out the sword on his back in the process. Bayonetta, still watching from the side, notices the more intricate design of the man's weapon.

Nero slashes diagonally at the demon as they are both suspended in the air. He then slashes in the opposite direction, before coming into a helicopter spin that propels him, and the demon higher into the air. The demon is now stunned as it falls to the earth. But before it falls, Nero catches it by the tail one last time-

"SIT! DOWN!"

-and throws it hard against the surface of the earth, just in time as it explodes from the bullets before. Nero lands on the ground smoothly with a satisfied look written on his face.

The downed knight can only say in awe, "Supreme… Commander… Nero…"

And his words are enough to trigger Bayonetta's interest.

"Got you."

She leaps from the bench and transforms immediately into a lean panther. She gracefully jumps over the fallen knights and heads straight for Nero. He sees her coming, and by reflex, swings his sword. But it hits nothing, because as she leaps into his arms, Bayonetta returns to her human form. Long legs immediately wrap around Nero's face as his back hits the ground hard.

With her _kitten _mere inches away from Nero's face, the young half-demon can do nothing but be paralyzed.

"So you're Nero." Cereza says, singing slightly. "You're a little scrawnier than I expected."

"GET- OFF-"

"Now, now. You need to calm your head and learn to be more… intimate…" Cereza says teasingly as she pulls out two of her pistols, and aims them directly over Nero's head. "I need you to tell me where a man by the name of Dan-"

Nero isn't listening. This is because of the embarrassing position he's in, a position he can only dream of sharing with Kyrie. His words are muffled and his breathing is ragged. This woman is strong, ridiculously so. Lifting her off of him would require him to push at her buttocks. Which Nero is well aware that he is incapable of doing. What's she talking about, anyway? He has no idea whatsoever.

"I can't breathe!"

"Well that's too bad now, isn't it? Tell me where Dante is and I'll gladly-"

"DAMN IT!"

Nero's eyes turn a sudden blue as his demonic wrath becomes released. Bayonetta senses the sudden growth of power and jumps off, moments before the ethereal sword cuts the space where she once stood. She graciously lands on all fours as Nero slowly sets himself up. A blue ghost made of blue flame burns alit behind him. It possesses a pair of long horns a massive sheathe is attached to one of its arms. Nero now holds the Yamato, a blue Okatana with his right hand, much to Bayonetta's surprise.

"Damn. I can't believe I had to go demon on your ass." Nero complains as the flames behind him die down.

Cereza can only smile while adjusting her glasses. "That's a nifty little hand you have there. Do you mind if I touch it?"

Nero grinds his teeth. Is she purposely trying to tick him off? Because she sure as hell is doing a great job at it. Oh, and who the hell is her in the first place? "How about you go fuck yourself?"

That's a pretty good taunt, right? Nero wonders.

"Only if you watch me, kiddo."

"Okay that's it." he is done testing the waters. "I'm not going to hold back anymore. It's time for me to kick some demonness ass."

* * *

Ten minutes later Nero flies across Fortuna, through glass and concrete, wondering who he is and where he's from. He is eventually stopped by one of the Savior's severed arms. As shards of glass fall around him, he looks at his distant opponent. He is dazed, and a little scared. Fear was never in his dictionary, but right now, a different kind of fear is making him doubt himself. Ever since Credo died, Nero promised Kyrie that he would take over her brother's duties in The Order. He planned, though inexperienced, he planned for The Order's renewal. They would no longer be a band of false knights whose true motive was the destruction of the world. He and Kyrie would make a new Order, an Order for the people.

He pulls himself up slowly, blood dripping through clenched teeth. This demon is strong. Though she might not look like one, she _feels _like one. He's part demon himself, so the feeling is in his blood. The world is hazy and Bayonetta appears to him only as a black silhouette. But even as she walks ominously toward him, even if the situation feels hopeless, he simply cannot give up.

"Are you ready to talk now? Little puppy?"

Puppy? The nerve of her. He never liked being insulted, being humiliated. This is just like that time when Dante made a complete fool out of him. The situation is very much the same as before. He has no idea why someone is attacking him, but he knows that he has to fight. Fighting is the only thing he can do right now. With this thought now fueling him, his demonic arm starts to glow. After a flash of blue light, the Yamato becomes manifested in Nero's hand.

"I'm not. The real question is…" he grips the katana with his right as he takes the Red Queen with his left. "…are you?"

Nero dashes forward, the spectral image of a massive demon hovering behind him.

"So you're finally using that sword of yours? I guess this means I should reply in earnest." a red portal appears behind the witch as she pulls out a katana of her own- the Shuraba.

Cereza fires the Rosemary with her left while gripping the Shuraba with her other hand. The bullets travel in twos but are nonetheless cut by the charging Nero. The determined devil throws the Red Queen high into the air as he grips the Yamato with both hands. He swings in a wide arc. Bayonetta spins her own katana clockwise and blocks his blade, even as she wields it with one hand.

Nero pulls back and grabs the Red Queen as it falls. He strikes downward, destroying the ground. He does not let up, and follows up with a flurry of attacks with both swords. Blades clash as sparks fly, the wind echoing loudly from the demonic blades. The blades move at a speed no normal human can wish to perceive. But in the eyes of Nero, it is clear that he is losing. Could she be a demon in the same level as Dante?

His question is answered the moment Bayonetta kicks him in the gut, sending him thrown hard against a wall. But Nero recovers quickly and immediately turns away from his opponent. He sets the Yamato's tip against the ground as he prepares the coming attack.

The Yamato glows blue as its power becomes focused. Blue flames wrap the blade as Nero focuses his remaining power in this final, desperate attack. Bayonetta is humored, and giggles as she assumes a similar pose. The Shuraba charges with violent red flames as Bayonetta focuses her own energy into the sword.

The wind stills before they release their attacks. Nero fires two massive beams of blue light, travelling with so much power that the air itself becomes lit aflame. Bayonetta spins and destroys the air with a beam of red. The two attacks collide in the center of the street, blowing apart leaves, parked cars, and concrete alike. Dust engulfs the wholeness of the battlefield as Nero barely stands, panting heavily.

"Hmph!" Bayonetta on the other hand, is unharmed as she merely combs back a lose hair. "Are you ready to talk now?"

Nero collapses on one knee, as he uses the Yamato for support. Bayonetta, satisfied of this minor victory, starts toward him.

"Now, now, there's no one to blame but yourself. And clearly I'm out of your league. Though I must say, you're skill with the sword is quite impressive, for your age. I'll let you go, maybe even give you something in return for this fight, after you tell me where a specific person is. Okay?" she says as she threatens Nero with a face full of lead.

Nero glares at the double barrels of one of the four Scarborough Fair, feeling completely hopeless.

"There's a demon I want to meet. His name is Dante."

"Dante?" Nero tries to stand but fails. "What do you want with him? He owe you money, lady?"

Bayonetta tilts her head. "What do you mean by that?"

"That guy owes everyone money. I figured… that you're one of those people who needs him to pay up." Nero struggles with another grunt.

"Hm. Well, you could put it that way. But my interest in him lies on a different manner-"

The stillness and the calm is broken sa the sky is split apart by a golden light. The clouds dissipate and the blueness disappears as everything is bathed by a divine glow.

"Oh great. Did they follow me here as well?" Bayonetta looks up, humored.

Nero watches as a light as bright as the sun shines down on all of Fortuna. Eventually the light becomes so bright that he is forced to look away. This isn't normal, he knows it isn't. It feels like something of a greater power is about to descend on him to deliver righteous judgment. But soon both he and Bayonetta are surprised by the sight they see.

"Feathers?" he asks weakly.

Bloodied feathers descend like snow all around them. The wailing cries of dying Affinities fills the air as the city of Fortuna becomes riddled with the corpses of a hundred angels. Then a massive blob, a horrendous severed Auditio descends with an anguished scream. Its limbs are severed and all that is left of the Fortitudo is its ugly, bleeding face. The Fortitudo falls toward the earth at such a speed that it catches fire. Like a comet it heads for Bayonetta and Nero, but neither of them move a single step. The injured Fortitudo crashes helplessly into Fortuna's buildings like a meteor. The earth is cast ablaze as it crashes, lifting up dirt and rock.

It stops, mere feet from where Bayonetta is standing.

"I thought you were dead. What the hell are you doing back up?" Bayonetta muses as she pokes the Fortitudo with her gun.

The massive angel replies with a weak groan, it lacks even the strength to speak.

"WHOOOO!" shouts the man dressed in red as he stands like a triumphant champion atop the angels head. "This party is over. But it was CRAZY!"

Dante donned in his signature red longcoat kicks himself off the Angel. He lands near Bayonetta and his presence catches her attention. Immediately, Cereza begins to analyze the person before her. He seems to possess the strength to defeat Fortitudo, and he isn't all that bad looking either. He sounds a little loud, though.

"Hah! I thought I was gonna lose you back there, buddy! Too bad I'm too fast for ya!" as an insult to injury, the man kicks the injured Angel's exposed eye, eliciting an anguished scream.

Cereza continues her observation. A big, long sword hangs on his back, and she even notices the presence of twin guns holstered underneath his coat. Could this be her target? He certainly fits the description she has of him in her head.

As she stares wondering if this is the person she's looking for, Dante on the other hand is-

"Hey! Kid! What're you doing down there? What happened to ya? Anyway, I need to borrow my brother's sword. Lend it to me, I'll have it back by Tuesday."

-completely ignoring her.

* * *

**Bayonetta **_**May **_**Cry**

**- Chapter 2 : The City Closest to Hell**

* * *

I'm currently playing over DMC3: SE. Jesus Christ, who the hell thought of this game? It's so much more fun than DMC4, but it's hard as hell. Also I just made the honest mistake of starting a Yellow game, so it's a lot harder than usual. D:

A few of you may be wondering where the side characters have gone. Jeanne, Rodin, Luca, Trish, and Lady. They'll be discussed in the later chapter.


	4. Chapter 3 Birds in the Vestibule

"What the hell is so damn special with Sparda, anyway?" Luka's thoughts wander off as he watches the distant earth move beneath him.

He feels alone on this plane. There's the occasional pretty face, but his urge to study this mysterious Dark Knight is keeping him from flirting with the women on this flight. The young journalist almost has a melancholic look on his face as he stares absentmindedly at the outside world. His father studied Angels, unknowingly, of course. And that was also the cause of his death. He doesn't know why, but this feels all too similar.

When Antonio worked for the Ithavol Group, did he feel the same fear he's feeling right now? There are so many things he wants to know about Sparda, that it's almost like an irritating itch. The path to knowledge is driven by curiosity. This truth is especially defined for journalists like him. Maybe flying out of the country is just what he needs? He needs some time off away from Bayonetta, Jeanne, Rodin, and those damn feathery freaks.

Eventually Luka realized that studying about Sparda in Europe isn't going to be doing much. The noble demon apparently lived the last of his days in America, so Luka decided to pursue information about him from the country he once lived in.

As the large propeller airplane begins to make its way to the runway, a funny but dangerous thought crosses his mind.

What if he gets killed for studying demons, in the same way that his father got killed for (accidentally) studying angels?

He just laughs the thought off nervously.

* * *

**Bayonetta _May _Cry**

**Chapter 3 : Birds in the Vestibule**

* * *

Being a freelance journalist is nice. It gives you a lot of opportunities to pursue whatever story you want to pursue without being hindered by a deadline dropped down by your boss. The only setback in working as a freelancer_, _is that it can get a little boring because the only company Luka has is himself.

The museum looks fairly normal from the outside, and it does too, on the inside. What makes this library stand out from the others however is the content of its books. He does not find dictionaries, bibles, or novels here, but he instead finds books written by mysterious writers, from unknown dates throughout history. It truly is a mysterious place. He didn't even _hear_ about most of the books here before.

The museum's interior is a large circular space, with books lining an inner and outer ring. There aren't many people around, which makes Luka stand a little bit on edge. He's well aware that a few angels are still roaming about in the world, and he has this wild paranoid feeling that he is always being watched.

"Hey mister what are you doing?"

"-FWAAAAHHHHWHAT?"

The young blonde girl narrows her eyes at his cartoonish pose. The little kid is dressed like a princess, with a frilly pink dress, and curly locks. She looks up at Luka innocently, before she shifts her gaze to the paper in Luka's hand.

"Are you just going to stand there like an idiot, or are you going to tell me what this is?" she grabs the list from Luka at the speed of a Glory.

"Hey! Give that back!" Luka tries to take the list back, but the girl hops back, examining the paper.

"Sparda? What'd you want to know about that guy?"

Luka disregards the fact that a little girl is so vehemently walking around in such a scary museum for a while. He once again tries to steal away the list, but the girl spins on her heel and dodges perfectly. Luka sighs and wipes his face with his hand. This is embarrassing.

"Listen, kiddo, I know that you're playing hard to get." he combs back his hair coolly. "But you're going to have to come back in 10 years if you want to have any real chance with me."

The girl tilts her head as Luka throws back his arms. "I am the great Luka! World famous paranormal journalist! I am well aware of how women, fawn over my very presence, so I'm going to give you a head start. How does an autograph sound?" he swiftly takes out a pen and paper from out of nowhere. "Hmm?"

There is a brief silence.

"So…" she presents the list to him. "…if you're so famous, how come I don't know you?"

"…" he swipes the list away and hides it in his jacket. "…you're ignorant, that's why."

"Uh-huh." the girl then slowly examines Luka from head to toe, along with the occasional shake of the head.

"What's a little girl like you doing in here, anyway?"

"Aren't you even going to ask my name first?"

Luka groans, is this kid for real? He wonders to himself.

"What's your name…?" he asks in the fakest voice of interest.

The girl nods satisfyingly before puffing her chest proud. "My name is Patty Lowell. And I'm here on official business!"

This prompts a curious raise of the eyebrow from Luka. "Official business?"

"Yep. You see, a friend of mine's birthday is coming up soon. And I'm doing research to get him the perfect gift!"

What kind of friend does this kid have? It must be someone really special. Luka dismisses the thought and just laughs to himself.

"How about you? What're you doing here?"

She's a confident little girl, isn't she? Luka fixes his long scarf and leans against a book case, obviously in an attempt to appear dramatic. An imaginary spot light comes down on him from the ceiling of the museum as he begins his tale. "I am here on a quest, to solve the case of the mysterious disappearance of a folklore hero. Two thousand years ago, a dark lord rose from Hell and tried to destroy the human world. But someone from his army turned the other cheek, and saved all of humanity. The story is fairly long, but his name was Sparda…" he pauses to build up non-existent dramatic tension. "I am here to uncover his roots, to show the world that maybe, just maybe, there's a chance that someone is related to this legendary hero."

"Yeah, his name is Dante."

"Yes, Dante- wait, Dante?" Luka double backs at the girl's surprisingly calm expression.

"He's the Son of Sparda. He's also the person I'm talking about with a birthday coming up. I'm friends with him." she then shows him an ear to ear smile.

Luka leans toward her with arched brows. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah, I am. You're not really that good of a journalist, are you?" she hops back again and places her hands on her hips. "It's either that or you just fail at research. Everybody knows about the demon hunter in this city who's rumored to be the descendant of that Sparda guy."

Luka backs away into a corner and thinks to himself. Should he really waste his time with this lead? For all he knows this little girl could just be playing him. Maybe the FBI are even around, waiting for him to make a move on her. Then if that happens they'll jail his ass for pedophilia! But… but, this girl sounds like she's serious. Should he take the risk? Plus, what are the odds of a public library being a hotspot for sexual predators?

"I can take you to his shop if you don't believe me."

That answers his question. He jumps at the opportunity with widespread arms. "Take me to your leader then Ms. Patty Lowell!"

"Patty's enough, Mr. Redgrave."

She then takes his hand and walks him out of the library. Luka does nothing but follow after her, though he nervously looks around to check that no FBI agents are looking in his general direction. It's better to be safe than sorry, he thought.

* * *

The portal Courage created had been suddenly rerouted to a different location. It considered that this was maybe because of its imperfection as a mere clone of Fortitudo. Higher ranking angels were always able to create portals at will. This was done whenever they needed to traverse to distant locations. This city was not his destination, but it may very well be his master's intent to send him here. It opens its weak eye and watches silently at the fearful spectacle.

"Dan…te…" Nero's groan comes off as weak and painful. "…fuck you."

"Well it's nice to see you too, kid." Dante deadpans as he takes the Yamato from Nero's offered hand.

He takes the weapon, raises it up, and examines it. It seems to be in pretty good shape, but that's to be expected. Nothing is capable of damaging a devil arm of this caliber, anyway.

"Well this is awfully convenient, isn't it?" a feminine voice speaks to him.

He turns around and motions to her with his brother's sword. "Damn straight it is! This makes things a lot more convenient for me ever since I forgot where the kid lives!"

Bayonetta adjusts her glasses and shifts her weight on one leg. She crosses her arms, examining him from head to toe. Dante does the same- and they both come laughing at the same time.

"Your outfit is hideous! No wonder you're so popular." Bayonetta shakes her head. "You literally stick out like a sore thumb."

Dante shrugs. "That's the whole point. I want to be noticed, makes me feel all big and stuff."

"I'm sure you very well are." she begins walking around him as he watches.

There is no mistake on Dante's end. She fits the profile given to him perfectly, but doesn't this all seem a little too convenient? He imagined that he maybe had to go through a few dungeons before inevitably coming face to face with her. That Adrian guy is going to be so happy when he finishes this job before the week ends.

"In case you're wondering~" Bayonetta pauses and aims the Thyme at him. "If you ask your little friend back there, then you'll find out that I'm here to kill you!"

"Oh? What a coincidence!" Dante spins the Yamato around, cutting the air. "I'm here to do the same thing!"

"Under what contract?" she asks curiously.

"I can't tell you that, babe. There's this whole client-confidentiality thing I'm working on."

"Ah, well that's a little depressing." she lowers her gun. "Can I at least ask why you'd want to hurt little 'ol me?"

Dante considers how he should say it, but disregards the kindness of the words in his head anyway. "Someone said you did something really nasty about something. It's a vague conduit of an explanation, but whatever it is, I'm sure that my orders are justified."

She frowns, for some reason feeling annoyed at the fact that he talks too much.

"Enough foreplay!" she declares with a raise of her gun. "Let's dance!"

Bayonetta decides to start a little slowly. She pulls the trigger five times, causing five bullets to align themselves unmoving in the air, before moving towards Dante at the same time. The demon hunter reacts by spinning the Yamato into a windmill, catching the bullets midflight within the apex of the blade and wind. He then places the bullets on the ground in a straight line before spinning the sword around and throwing the bullets back.

She reacts by making a minute movement to the side, dodging the bullets completely. Cereza looks at him, eyes widened.

"I've got to say, that was quite an impressive move!"

Dante takes a step forward and holds the noble katana under his hand. "Learned it from my brother."

Dante realizes that he has two options. He can play around for a while, or he can go all out and own her with his overwhelming speed and strength. Right now, he's leaning toward the latter. He can finish this before the sun sets for dinner. He might not have lined being in Fortuna for long, but he enjoyed the food here. Maybe he should drop by a restaurant once he deals with this.

He steps forward, disappearing in a red flash, before appearing right above Bayonetta. He swings the Yamato with deadly precision and she replies with an equally sleek movement of the Shuraba. The blades clash. The ensuing explosion of wind is so powerful that it sends a shockwave of air through the streets, lifting the feathers and demonic blood off the ground.

The next few movements came impossibly fast. The opposite blue and red katana, the Yamato and Shuraba, danced in the air. Fast motions of swings and thrusts combined into a whirlwind of colors.

"Impressive. You're really good with your hands." Dante says, his blade locking with hers, their faces inches apart.

"I try to impress." she jumps back and kicks him away.

She lands on the ground gracefully and snaps her fingers. The next instant, a black hand emerges from the ground, lifting up the nearby severed arm of the Savior. Dante watches silently, more impressed by the fact that the hand seems to be made of hair. The black hand then swings forward, launching the white fist of the Savior straight for the Dante.

Dante leans forward, holding the Yamato under his body. As the fist approaches he swings the blade in a vertical arc, cutting the fist cleanly in half. He then swings around, slicing apart the two pieces horizontally. As the fist disintegrates in mid-air, he takes the rebellion on his back and stabs one of the larger pieces. He then twists his body, throwing the large rock piece back toward Bayonetta.

She replies with a swift cut of her own, dividing the rock into further two.

"You're showing some promise, devil~" she says in a teasing voice while watching the rubble crash into a building.

"I try to impress." Dante replies in a faux British accent.

Bayonetta once again begins pacing around. "We're already in the middle of this little dance, and you didn't even consider bringing me gifts?"

"Well that was the gift right there, baby. If you didn't like it, you could have just told me." Dante grumbles like a disappointed suitor. "You didn't have to cut it up."

She once again readies herself into a hard, prepared stance. Dante doesn't do the same, and instead rubs his chin as he begins to steadily walk toward her. This battle, should take quite a while.

* * *

"Please wait here, Mr. Luka." Patty says as she hops down the staircase leading out of the museum.

Luka watches her with an air of uncertainty. Even now he continues to doubt if he should continue following her. It is somewhat taboo for a reporter to rely on such a young girl for information this early into an investigation. He watches her while she stands in the street, waiting for a cab to come and pick them up.

As he watches this, he feels a heated presence coming from behind. He turns around to see the black bartender rising from the ground, red light emanating from the ground beneath.

"R-Rodin!"

"Yo." he says in that deep demonic voice. "You better be sure about this shit you're getting yourself into, kid. Dive in too deep, and you'll be drowning under a sea of demonic shit in no time."

"You don't have to worry about me. I can handle myself. I survived the encounters with Cerezita and her older self, right?" he shrugs casually.

"What you don't get is that back then, the angels didn't give a fuck about the things you did. This is different." Rodin steps out of the Gates of Hell's glow. "Demons are ferocious, they don't need to follow those shitty rules the angels follow."

He leans forward, pushing Luka against a wall. This is a very uncomfortable experience for him.

"Listen here, do you know how to use a piece?"

"A what?"

"A gun. It'll keep your ass safe-"

"Don't need one!" he ducks down and scurries away, running down the staircase to head to Patty and the now waiting taxi. "But thanks for the concern!"

Rodin crosses his arms and swears under his breath as the yellow cab drives away. Just then, a second red glow emerges from behind him and out appears Jeanne, sucking on a lollipop. He turns to her, scowling.

"Following him, are you?"

"Well, yes. I'm rather fond of that boy." she discards the finished lollipop as she walks down. "Plus, there's nothing else to do. Cereza isn't around to play, might as well dick around through this boredom."

"Suit yourself." the former angel shrugs and returns to the portal he created.

Jeanne looks at him once before another portal appears, and from the portal rises her overly accessorized motorcycle. She gets on the cycle, revving it up once before racing off toward her prey. Disappointed that it's just going to be him and Enzo for a little while, Rodin descends back into the darkness.

* * *

"They're a different species."

"Well, they look the same when you strip them of all that white armor." Lady puts up her feet on the dashboard while thinking. "I read about angels back when I did research about you demons. Though for some reason, there aren't many recorded cases of them actually appearing in the flesh. There were gaps in the texts, it almost felt like someone erased them from history."

"Hmm… you don't say." Trish lies down happily in the back seats.

Adrian listens to the conversation as he drives the red convertible. Despite being really deep into debt, he has to admit that Dante has quite the nice ride. The two girls continue to converse behind him and his gaze shifts to the ocean to his right. Reaching Fortuna would at least take two hours, it's going to be boring. This intelligent conversation about his people is very welcome to pass the time.

Angels normally do not show themselves to humans, but when he shook Lady's hand a few hours earlier, he gave her the ability to see the ethereal angels. It is a technique that all angels can do. It is only done when an angel recognizes a human's pure heart, thus allowing them to see an angel's glory. The technique did not need to be performed on Dante and Trish. Their demonic heritage already gives them the power to see angels.

* * *

"So, Patty, how did you befriend this guy?" Luka asks just as the ocean comes into view. A high cliff wall runs frightfully close to his right.

The little girl shifts in her seat and glances at him. "Oh, simple, simple~ we hired him back then to investigate something about my father's inheritance to me. There were some nasty people in my family who wanted me dead. He was my bodyguard for a short while!"

Luka turns silent; disgusted at the thought that someone would want to harm such an innocent little girl.

"That's harsh…"

Patty looks up at him, sensing something. "Is something the matter?"

Luka lapses back briefly, remembering the time when he watched his father get ripped apart by monsters he could not see. The painful feeling within his heart aches again. Like long needles of memory, they cause him to forget where he is, who he has become. That was so long ago, but this girl was hunted down just because she was related to her father? That's much more cruel.

"Luka~"

But her innocent call brings him back. And he smiles, patting her head with his hand-

-when suddenly the ceiling dents inward, bringing Patty into a high-pitched scream. Luka throws his body on top of her, protecting her from the shattering glass. He throws his gaze at the cab driver when suddenly the windshield breaks, and a powerful wind pulls the driver straight out the vehicle. Luka watches in disbelief as the man is thrown into the ocean screaming.

The car begins to swerve and Luka dives into the driver seat, struggling to keep the car in control. He looks around and sees distortions in the air, suddenly terrified at the realization that some angels might be hovering around them, ready to attack. But why? What the fuck did he do to deserve this? He sure as hell doesn't want this girl to get involved!

Suddenly gunshots ring through the air and a motorcycle races past.

Luka watches, recognizes Jeanne, and a smile crosses his lips. She doesn't acknowledge the fact that he's happy to see her. She brings forward her hand and circles her finger, creating a purple portal in the space before her. The motorcycle drives through the portal, bringing her into the dimension of Purgatorio.

"Bitch please-!"

Time stops inside the dimension of angels as Jeanne leaps into the air. She comes into a violent spin, shooting a barrage of bullets in every direction, ripping apart the Affinities. Feathers scatter, blood spills, as she comes storming down, landing perfectly back on her motorcycle. Satisfied at the sight of more dead angels, she creates another portal, returning her to the realm of idiot humans like Luka.

"Shit! Jeanne!" Luka shouts as the witch drives up next to him.

"Did I scare you back there?" she holsters the black luger.

"No shit you did." he fingers his ear. "Damn that was loud!"

"Stop shouting will you." she tilts her body back and stretches her arms, driving the motorcycle freehanded.

"WHAT? No I'm not here to study Sparda! I'm here on vacation!"

"Quite." she rolls her eyes. He's gone deaf, hasn't he?

"Patty! Are you alright! Are you hurt!" Luka shouts at the girl in the back. The brief fright doesn't leave a lasting impression on Patty, and she is now settled back into a casual sitting position. She looks at him with an irritated look, instead of a petrified one. She's used to these seemingly random attacks by now.

"Can you please stop shouting?" Patty kindly asks.

"Yeah! I know! What the hell was up with that!" Luka replies with a shout.

She sighs deeply before looking in the direction of the witch in red. White hair and a red suit? That makes her look like a walking female version of Dante. She giggles at the thought. Jeanne hears this and glares at her, feeling offended for whatever reason.

"Your little pet over there is laughing at me! I demand the reason why!"

"Yeah I want to know why this is happening too!" Luka answers her, obviously not hearing anything right.

Jeanne sighs in a similar manner to Patty. It's obvious why he's being attacked, there's no doubt about it. For whatever reason, those angels wanted Luka dead. They've left him alone after the whole deal with Jubileus. But now, they seem to be targeting his ass directly. She expected this to happen though, once she heard about him foolishly researching about Sparda.

Unbeknownst to her, demonic feet crush the earth as they sprint through the asphalt. Four assaults, travelling at the speed of a racing car take their positions around the cab and the motorcycle. Unlike the angels, these demons are visible to the naked eye. This gives them a much more terrifying appearance.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE!" Luka, with a sudden movement swerves the car into an Assault on the right. But the demon leaps high into the air and lands atop the cab.

"Oh for God's sake stop shouting!" Jeanne raises an All 4 One and fires a burst at the Assault.

But the demon, driven by blood thirst and anger, ignores the lead entering its skin. It digs its massive armored claws into the cab and pulls out the roof, exposing the now terrified girl from inside. It delivers a quick fatal thrust but Luka pulls the girl out at the last moment, while at the same time throwing a grappling hook into the high rock wall. The Assault's attack tears the vehicle in half, causing it to explode into crimson flame as it ruptures the fuel tank.

The four assaults turn their attention on Jeanne. They leap high into the air, surrounding her from every direction. Thinking literally on her feet, she kicks the ground with the heel of her shoe. Using the momentum of her sudden stop, she lifts her motorcycle in the air and crashes it straight into the demonic Assaults. The demons are sent crashing all over, into the road, into the ocean, and into the cliff.

She comes into a halt as two of the demons that ended up on the road recover. They growl lowly at her, pissed off and angry.

"Well what's this? Why are you hitting on me for? I'm on your side, you retarded little fuckers."

But the demons do not recognize her contract with them and instead bolt forward with terrifying speed. Jeanne readies herself to fight, but her concentration is interrupted when a red convertible suddenly crashes into them.

* * *

"This is taking forever!" the witch complains.

"You got that right. I'm beginning to feel a little bored." the demon agrees.

Nero, barely recovered from his humiliating defeat, watches the battle wage on. Massive black fists run the air, crashing into the man who once saved his life. But Dante retaliates easily, catching the powerful force with the power of his own sword. He delivers a sudden attack—a stinger, but the girl dodges in the last second, which is when time comes to a 90% halt.

Hovering in Witch Time, Bayonetta can do nothing but admire Dante for his efforts. His form is great, his stance is perfect, and if that broad sword of his might have hit her, it would surely have caused great damage. But times a wasting, and she doesn't feel the need to spend any more time in this city fighting this half-assed traitor.

He cannot get to her while she is in Witch Time. Witch time allows her to move at an inconceivable speed, albeit for a short period of time. But those few seconds should be more than enough to sever his head. She takes her time raising the Shuraba over Dante's head, and with a quick swing drops it in an instant-

-until the demon hunter catches it with the tip of his gun. She looks in awe as time for him comes to a similar standstill, painting the terrain in a still white. Now in quicksilver, Dante takes advantage of her brief lapse of concentration. He moves in, stabbing the rebellion into the ground behind her, and pushing her hard against it.

They are face to face, bodies inches apart, as he pushes the Ivory into her chest. She breathes out, licking her lips at the proximity of his presence. It is a teasing action, meant for seduction, not for affection.

"You're getting a little too close, dear…"

"I can't help it." he answers with a sneer. "I keep trying to get close, but you're always out of reach. Walking away and keeping your distance like that."

Time then ends, returning to the normal flow. As they exit witch time and quicksilver, they become once again visible to Nero. He perceives them, looking at them in a state of awe. Not because of the previous swiftness of their battle, but because of the soul fact that they look like they just finished having sex, or are just about to start.

The panting breaths, the sweat, and the slightly torn clothes prompt just three words from Nero.

"What the fuck?"

His words however have a negative effect on Dante's concentration, distracting him just the slightest. This is also when he looks down, and realizes something unsettling. Her foot is aimed at his crotch… and there's a gun attached to it.

"Well this is too bad, isn't it?" she says in that deep English voice. "We appear to be at a stalemate."

"Hm. You're right… there's a difference, though." Dante makes a pained expression. "I can recover from that…" he points to her heel-gun with his chin. "…it's going to be a painfully slow healing process, but I can recover from it. However…" He presses the barrel harder into Bayonetta's chest. "…I don't think you can do the same. Should we find out?"

Cereza's sour expression lasts for approximate five seconds before she kicks him in the balls, sending bullets into places they should not be in.

"Enough talk!" she turns around, running her hand through her hair and casting a spell. "I do not fancy men with a larger mouth than mine!"

The spell is fueled by magical energy, transforming her hair into a large medieval iron maiden. Dante doesn't even resist as he falls into the coffin-like apparatus. Driven by more demonic power, the coffin closes, impaling him in every place, every direction, hundreds of times. The witch turns behind her and sees the Rebellion stabbed into the ground.

In a fit, she pulls the massive blade with her hand and throws it straight forward, thrusting it straight into and even through the iron maiden. A river of blood flows from device's tiny holes.

"Well that was easy." Satisfied with the result, Bayonetta turns around and begins walking away.

She walks away for approximately 5 steps before stopping.

"You don't say…" a pained grunt sounds off from the maiden.

Bayonetta turns around just in time to see the maiden crack open and explode. Dante emerges, red all over from his own blood, the rebellion stabbed through his chest. He claps his hands twice before assuming a battle-ready stance.

"What the hell are you?" she asks him, this time in a more serious tone.

Being the joker that he is, Dante does not answer seriously. "I'm one of a kind, baby."

"Interesting." she flips back her hair and holds the Scarborough Fair at the ready.

Loud music begins to play, as the battle heats on. It is no longer a battle driven by a man or demon's orders. It is now a battle driven by interest. For them, the money offered to them, whether halo or paper, doesn't matter anymore. Dante to Bayonetta is as interesting as a new species of demon, and Dante feels an odd attraction to his target's talents with the gun and sword.

So without further ado, they swear to the heavens together.

"This party's getting crazy!"

"Let's Dance!"

* * *

**Bayonetta _May _Cry**

**Chapter 3 : Birds in the Vestibule**

* * *

She walks through The Order's cathedral, waiting.

Eventually, the naïve singer comes, asking her something as she gets up from sitting on a pew.

Miromi smiles at Kyrie before taking out the hidden gun and shooting her in the shoulder.

The gunshot is heard throughout the cathedral and armed guards run in.

Just in time to see Dante standing over Kyrie's body, his face drawn with blood in the same way as before, when he killed their leader.

Sanctus.

* * *

I must apologize for the sudden ending, and the slow update. Had a lot of stuff to do. Anyway, I've joined deviant art and will probably be posting this over there as well under the username zackofanime. So… everybody wins.

Yay?

By the way, the 1st chapter was re-uploaded with more content and grammar improvements. Check it out.


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